Red, white and black are colours commonly found in rock paintings around the globe. In northern Chile’s Atacama Desert, visual representations produced between 2000 BC
and 1550 CE also include yellow, orange, violet, blue and green. This polychrome usage is particularly notable in the dress of anthropomorphs and is characterised by extreme attention to detail and the use of an exclusive set of raw materials. These unique aspects enable us to discuss the value and meaning of colour in past societies throughout different periods of the local sequence, beyond its consideration as a stylistic indicator.